Simply Shocking Part 3

Over the last couple of issues, we’ve looked at how the AFCO Eliminator line of double adjustable shocks are made and, equally important, how they’re adjusted. If you revisit the first couple of articles in the series, you’ll find the quality is high and adjustments are simple. There’s a broad range of adjustment and you can actually feel those changes in the shocks. But that’s not the end of it. If you’re a seasoned racer, you know the crushing feeling when the oil pan and the headers become flattened. It’s not only frustrating, it’s expensive (and in some cases, downright dangerous). AFCO was well aware of those issues and they came up with special valving designed to soften the blow of wheel stands. Check it out:

Big Nose Compression…

Something you might have heard or read about is AFCO’s BNC valving. BNC stands for “Big Nose Compression.” It was developed to assist in most situations where the car wheelies. AFCO’s Eric Saffell points out that the front shock travel on most OEM cars (that began on a production line) isn’t very much. They might have 5 inches of total travel at best. And as Eric notes, some applications actually have less. As a result, getting the car to land gently from a honking wheel stand isn’t easy with this small amount of shock stroke.
According to Eric: “AFCO has developed a stiffer valve package for extreme wheelie applications. However, most cars will do just fine with the standard BNC valving. If the car is 3,300 pounds or more, and your car is doing huge wheelies and change may not be an option, then the alternate valving may be needed. This valving package is a special build and normally takes two days lead time.
“The great thing about the BNC valving is that at full soft, the shock performs like a standard valved shock. The range of adjustment is very large to accommodate most applications.”
Essentially, AFCO’s BNC shocks are designed to better absorb the impact of the car after a wheel stand launch. They can also be used in coil-over applications with the optional kit. Furthermore, AFCO has a special BNC2 package. This is designed for nose-heavy, big wheel standing door cars. Again, the whole idea is to allow a car to land softly, prevent oil pan and header carnage and, at the same time, allow cleaner passes down the 1320.
Direct Bolt-In Shocks…
A big bonus with AFCO’s double adjustable Eliminator lineup is the wide range of bolt-in applications. These stock mount shocks are based upon eight different mount setups, which in turn allows the shocks to be used in 14 popular FoMoCo applications, 18 popular Mopar applications and 24 common GM applications. In some cases (for example, for the rear shocks in the writer’s Nova), the shock is mounted upside down to suit the car. This both allows for easy adjustments and reduces the unsprung weight slightly. FYI, AFCO also sells the mounting hardware separately. This means you can repurpose the shocks and swap them from car to car or in some cases, change the orientation (upside down to traditional and vice-versa).
That’s all for this installment. As you can see, AFCO has sweated the little details that competitors need. It makes for a very drag racer-friendly setup. That’s something we can all appreciate. In the issue that follows, we’ll dig deeper into AFCO’s GM coil-over conversion shock kits and have a closer look at what it takes to fit the Eliminator shocks to a car (it’s really not difficult). In the meantime, check out the accompanying photo slideshow:

This AFCO front shock is equipped with “BNC” or “Big Nose Compression” valving. That means the shock valving is engineered to soften the blow when coming down from a wheel stand. It’s a unique feature from AFCO. See the text for full details.

AFCO’s Eliminator lineup is engineered to bolt in. This back shock on the writer’s Nova is installed “upside down.” More in the next photos:

The eyelet mount for the lower rear shock stud makes use of a spherical bearing. Basically, it’s a bolt-in.

Meanwhile, this is the tie bar mount for the upper rear portion of the shock.

Here’s a look at the lower rear with the shock mounted. More on mounting considerations in the next issue.